Police report shows drop in violent crime; city rolls out summer enforcement plan

The Hopewell police chief reported notable decreases in major crime compared with recent years and described a targeted summer enforcement plan aimed at curfew violations, firearms and narcotics cases.

At the council meeting the chief said violent crime had fallen compared with 2022 levels, providing the department’s internal figures: “violent crime is down -43%,” and property crime has decreased as well. The chief also said narcotics incidents with arrests totaled 22 so far in 2026 and summarized recent trends in narcotics arrests and suspected overdoses.

The department described workforce capacity and recruitment: one dispatcher position remained open and five police officer positions were vacant; the chief said recruitment events were planned, including an outreach appearance at the Hampton Roads Convention Center. The chief noted neighborhood-watch activity and described recent community policing events, including the Healthy Families "building bridges" event focused on gun-violence prevention and the upcoming Hopewell 250 downtown event where officers will offer a public "touch-a-truck" demonstration.

To address summer safety concerns, the police are deploying a "strategic enforcement team" for June–August that the chief said would focus on curfew enforcement, field interviews, hotspot patrols, loud-music complaints, firearms and narcotics enforcement, and serving outstanding warrants. The chief described the unit as specialized and not routinely answering nonpriority calls unless required.

Council members and residents asked questions about the data and staffing; the chief remained available at the meeting to answer follow-ups. No new formal directives were recorded at the meeting aside from the presentation and discussion.

The police chief’s presentation concluded with an offer to respond to council questions and local outreach events planned through the summer.